Hong Kong summons GMA-7 reporter to hostage probe

The Hong Kong government has summoned GMA News reporter Susan Enriquez, and is expected to summon several other journalists and state officials, to take part in its own investigation on the Manila hostage-taking incident, which claimed the lives of eight mostly Chinese tourists. GMA News "24 Oras Weekend" reported several other officials are expected to participate in the Hong Kong government's probe, such as Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. Video embed:
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV The other Filipino journalists and government officials who will be summoned, however, have yet to be announced. Lim has said he will not participate in any probe to be conducted by the Chinese special administrative region, citing sovereignty issues. "That's an infringement of our sovereignty," Lim said in the same newscast, as he maintained he is dead set against any parallel inquiry by Hong Kong into the Aug. 23 incident. "I don't think so," Lim quipped, when asked if he will attend Hong Kong's inquest proceedings. "Kung sakaling magkaroon sila ng investigation, at iba doon sa investigation natin (In case they will have their own, and different from our investigation), which will prevail?" Lim asked. The Hong Kong government will start its own 25-day investigation starting Feb. 14. De Lima is waiting for President Aquino’s opinion on the parallel inquiry, saying she will attend the hearing in case Hong Kong summons her. De Lima headed the Incident Investigation and Review Committee, a government panel that looked into the circumstances around the botched rescue of hostages and made its recommendations on what course of action Manila should take. The Hong Kong Coroner's Court has invited at least 116 Filipino witnesses to shed light on the Aug. 23 hostage tragedy. De Lima earlier said the Philippine government cannot compel Filipino witnesses to fly to Hong Kong for the probe, citing the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, which protects Filipinos from being prosecuted in a foreign country. It has yet to be determined if Hong Kong would agree to have the probe covered by the treaty. But President Aquino is not keen on sending all 116 witnesses to Hong Kong, saying it would be better if the witnesses were interviewed here in the Philippines. On Aug. 23, 2010, former police officer Rolando Mendoza commandeered a tourist bus with mostly Chinese nationals on board and demanded that he be reinstated into the police force. In the ensuing rescue operations by the police, Mendoza and eight of the hostages were killed. — With Jerrie Abella/JE/VS, GMANews.TV